Adjustable wire lug



July 6, 1937. I R. A. OHLSON I 2,086,090

ADJUSTABLE WIRE LUG I Filed Jan. 29, 1935 If I! MIMI? 12/3 Patented July 6, 1937 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE 3 ADJUSTABLE WIRE LUG necticut Application January 29, 1935, Serial No. 3,900

7 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to terminals for electrical panels, switches,etc. and the main object is to provide an effective electrical connecting device for multiple strand cables of various sizes.

Another object is to provide a terminal that can be mounted in various positions. Another object is to provide aconstruction that can be used for connection either of the end of a cable or to a point intermediate the ends.

The terminal accordingly is composed of three parts. Two of the parts are in the form of solid blocks having complementary inclined faces with interposed grooves which form the clamping jaws. One block forms the base or stationary jaw member and the other block is mounted so as to slide on the base block. The third part is in the form of a screw or bolt which draws the two blocks together to clamp the cable in the grooves between the blocks.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a panel with terminals involving my invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a switch terminal of my invention on a larger scale, the jaws being fully opened.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 3 and showing in dot and dash lines two other positions.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing the jaws of Fig. 3

closed.

Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the two blocks.

The blocks 1 and 8 are formed of brass, copper or other suitable metal and preferably drawn together by a bolt or screw 9 and nut It). For convenience they are usually mounted on a terminal plate I I. The two blocks are provided with com-. plementary inclined faces l2 and I3 through which the screw passes and the similarly complementary inclined faces l4 and IS in a plane ofiset from the plane of the faces I2 and I3.

Interposed between these pairs of faces are grooves l6 and I! which with the walls l2 and I5 form a passage for the-cable.

The block 8 has an elongated slot l8 which permitsthe top block to slide on the base block- I. When the blocks are in the position of Fig.

3 the passage i9 is fully open for the insertion of the wire or cable. By tightening the nut ill the cable is clamped and-all ends drawn together and compressed to the most perfect electrical connection possible.

The arrangement of the angular surfaces makes it possible for the blocks to move from the fully posed pockets forming a wire passage and a opened position to a practically closed position without any opening through which the strands of wire may escape. It also tends to distort the strands of wire thus making a better and more secure contact. 5

It will be noted that the lug may be swivelled so that the wires may approach from either side or the end of the terminal or any intermediate angle which, in some cases, is of advantage as shown in Fig. 4. v 10 It will be understood of course that the terminal will usually be mounted on an insulating base such as 20. I

In some instances,- a series of single pole units are wired at one end with a continuous wire 2|. 15

In such instances the lug is adapted to receive a wire which has been vstripped of insulation at the required distances or spacings.

In this case of course it will be necessary to remove the top jaws in order to lay the wire in the lower or base jaw grooves IS. The top jaws are then placed in position and clamped down.

The wires 22 at the other side may be inserted endwise and the lugs adjusted at any desired angle. A I

I claim:

1. An adjustable wire lug including two blocks each having two inclined vertically ofiset parallel faces with a semi-circular pocket between said faces,v the faces of the respective blocks sliding upon each other without rotation to vary the size of the opening formed by the pockets and a clamp screw for'connecting the two blocks.

2. An adjustable wire lug including two blocks each having two inclined vertically offset faces with a wire gripping pocket between the faces; openings extending through said blocks, one of said openings being enlarged and a clamp device passing through the openings in the two blocks, the faces of the respective blocks sliding upon each other with a motion of translation to vary the size of the opening between the blocks.

3. An adjustable wire lug including two solid blocks having overlapping pairs of contiguous inclined vertically oflset parallel faces with interscrew for drawing the blocks tog ther. at leaa't one of said blocks having an elongated perforation to permit said screw to shift from one 991'- tion to another of said elongated perforation as 50 said blocks are drawn together, the faces 0! the respective blocks sliding upon eachother without rotation to vary the'size of' the pocket op nin between the blocks as they are drawn together.

4. An adjustable clamping connection for a multiple stranded wire comprising a stationary jaw having an inclined guiding surface lower at i one edge than another and a wire-supporting pocket open along the lower edge, a block mounted to slide along said inclined surface and having a Wire-gripping pocket open along its lower edge and coacting with the wire-supporting pocket to hold a wire between the walls of the pockets and clamping means for forcing the block to slide along the inclined surface of the stationary jaw, said clamping means including a screw threaded member extending through the said inclined surface.

5. A wire terminal clamp comprising a base member, a jaw member supported on the base member and having an inclined guiding surface and a wire-supporting pocket at the lower edge of the inclined surface, a clamping block supported and slidable on the inclined guiding surface and having a wire clamping pocket coacting with a wire in the supporting pocket and a clamping bolt extending through the base member and through the inclined guiding surface of the jaw member and through the clamping block at one side of its pocket, the plane of the guiding surface being inclined at a substantial 0 a lower section, each section having a plurality of faces extending diagonally of said block, said faces being parallel and vertically offset with respect to each other and being spaced by a nonparallel surface so as to form a pocket therebetween, the respective faces of each section being complementary to each other, said block having a vertically extending passage passing through faces of an upper and a lower section,

and bolt means extending through said .passage.

7. An adjustable wire clamp comprising a substantially rectangular block composed of an upper and a lower section, a plurality of faces between said upper and lower sections extending substantially diagonally of said block and forming bearing surfaces for said sections, each face being complementary to an adjacent face on another section,each, face on each section extending from an end of said section, each face of each section being parallel and vertically offset from another face of the same section, the offset faces being joined by a non-parallel surface adapted to form a wire receiving pocket between said sections, said sections being slidable with respect to each other on said offset surfaces to vary the size of said pocket, said block having a bolt passage extending through one of said faces of each of said sections, a part at least of said bolt passage being enlarged to permit adjustment of said sections, and a securing bolt extending through said passage.

RF YNOLD A. OHLSON. 

